"A Russian liquefied natural gas tanker completed its maiden voyage through the waters of the Arctic Sea last week without the use of an icebreaker, ushering in a new step in the exploitation of the dramatically warming polar region."https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/08/29/arct-a29.html

monckton wrote:"A Russian liquefied natural gas tanker completed its maiden voyage through the waters of the Arctic Sea last week without the use of an icebreaker, ushering in a new step in the exploitation of the dramatically warming polar region."https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/08/29/arct-a29.html

So where is the news? Now that we know how to navigate the Northwest Passage without getting lost, this isn't news anymore.

This passage opens up every year as part of the summer thaw. We've known about it since 1903. Heck...we have regular cruise ships go through there now.

This isn't the Northwest passage - this is an important new trade route signalling what some have called the 'pivot to Asia' ...

The specially constructed 300-meter tanker Christophe de Margerie became the first tanker to complete the Northern Sea Route voyage unassisted. The ship sailed from Norway to South Korea in just 19 days, 30 percent faster than the usual route through the Suez Canal. The Northern Sea Route tracks the northern coast of Siberia, which may provide an efficient alternative for trade between northern Europe and east Asia as climatic conditions change.

Here's continuous operations of russian ships operating through the Northeast Passage. Here are two NUCLEAR POWERED ice breakers escorting numerous NUCLEAR POWERED military ships. After safe passage, one of nuke ice breakers was off to escort other ships through the Passage. It appears they conduct such actions continuously. Have fun watching lots of nuke ships(even if they are russian):https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=russian+nuclear+ice+breaker+flotilla&view=detail&mid=C62E8868FC8F955D3647C62E8868FC8F955D3647&FORM=VIRE

monckton wrote:This isn't the Northwest passage - this is an important new trade route signalling what some have called the 'pivot to Asia' ...

The specially constructed 300-meter tanker Christophe de Margerie became the first tanker to complete the Northern Sea Route voyage unassisted. The ship sailed from Norway to South Korea in just 19 days, 30 percent faster than the usual route through the Suez Canal. The Northern Sea Route tracks the northern coast of Siberia, which may provide an efficient alternative for trade between northern Europe and east Asia as climatic conditions change.

That's the Northwest Passage all right. It IS faster than either the Suez or the Panama Canal, as long as you don't get lost, and as long as it's summertime.

litesong wrote:Here's continuous operations of russian ships operating through the Northeast Passage. Here are two NUCLEAR POWERED ice breakers escorting numerous NUCLEAR POWERED military ships. After safe passage, one of nuke ice breakers was off to escort other ships through the Passage. It appears they conduct such actions continuously. Have fun watching lots of nuke ships(even if they are russian):https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=russian+nuclear+ice+breaker+flotilla&view=detail&mid=C62E8868FC8F955D3647C62E8868FC8F955D3647&FORM=VIRE

Just don't get too close to the Russian ones. I hear their nuke plants are running a lot closer to redline than the U.S. does.

LOL, just quit, this is only the Russian ones.If you watch it, they've never had an accident in 50 years. Of course that might be a bit of propaganda, but it's not like we talk about 3 mile island any more.... ponders

"old sick silly sleepy sleezy slimy slimebag filthy vile reprobate rooting (& rotting) racist pukey proud pig AGW denier liar whiner badnight" trades on the courage of Arctic explorers. The route Amundsen traveled around the south of Victoria Island took parts of 3 years to complete, with a smaller shallow draft sailing ship, needed to clear some of the 4+ meter deep passages & narrow island passages. The passage, 300 miles further north, & north of Victoria Island, which is hoped to be the main Northwest Passage, is more ice-bound.
Edited on 30-11-2017 05:32

monckton wrote:LOL, just quit, this is only the Russian ones.If you watch it, they've never had an accident in 50 years. Of course that might be a bit of propaganda, but it's not like we talk about 3 mile island any more.... ponders